A Lost Future
by Zelda FaNaTiKaH
Summary: Zelda and her husband are King and Queen of Hyrule. But when an ancient evil takes over the kingdom, it's up to the young Hylian princess to find the Hero of Time and convince him to return to Hyrule, and face his past after nearly two decades away...
1. Memories of a Queen

Okayy… whoever read this before, don't shout at me, and please don't murder me ! I know… I had promised, a long time ago, to continue this story… but I kind of had a hard time and everything… and then I remembered it, and read it… and I don't know, I don't think it was the way I imagined it. So, what I'm going to do is… I'll read it, change whatever I don't like about it, and update the new versions of the next chapters soon ^^

I know I'd be mad if anyone did that to a story I was reading, but I think most people have read this a long time ago anyway, they probably don't remember everything…

I just hope I won't be dead by tomorrow (be nice people!) and I hope you enjoy the new version of A Lost Future !

Please review (and be nice, don't kill me) =D

**Disclaimer: The Legend of Link… sorry, Zelda, belongs to Nintendo not to me =)**

**Chapter 1**

**-Memories of a Queen-**

_It had to be this feeling._

_Complete Happiness._

_Her warm heart beating in a steady pace, her stomach occasionally turning upside down, the smile that refused to leave her lips. It had to be this, she thought as she snuggled closer to her companion. Her long, wet hair making her shiver as it touched her fair skin._

_She felt his strong arm tighten around her shoulder, and felt her own arms pull the warmth of his body closer. She couldn't help but shiver again as the wind blew fiercely, making the wet fabrics of their clothes colder against their bodies. _

_She slowly opened her dark blue eyes, making a certain effort as the first rays of sunlight glittered in the lake's clean margins. That sight was so comforting to her. Every time she felt tired in her duties as a princess, she would picture Lake Hylia's clean surface in her mind, the sun rising in the horizon, and his arms around her, and would be ready for anything. She breathed deeply, welcoming the water's clean scent in her nostrils, before closing her eyes again._

"_Thank you, Link…Thank you so much…" she whispered against his chest, as she opened her eyes again to look at him._

_Zelda had never been this happy in her sixteen years of life. Not even the moments when her father would read her stories in her childhood meant as much to her. _

_His eyes opened slowly and made their way to her pale face. She could feel her insides burning as he smiled questionably._

"_For…?" asked the boy, as he rushed his hands through her damp hair._

_She smiled at him, trying to flatten his untidy blond hair, as his bright blue eyes followed her hand. He gently grabbed her wrist and placed her hand on his poorly-shaved face. She caressed the muscles of his cheek as he pulled her closer with his other arm. He leaned closer to her face as she silently closed her dark orbs and her cherry colored lips slightly parted welcoming his. His warm lips captured hers on a warm kiss, and she felt as if she would vanish. His right hand let go of her wrist and made its way to her face. She shivered under his touch, and couldn't help but long for his lips as he broke the kiss._

_Link and Zelda were young at age, but they had lived intensely every second of their lives. They had changed the course of history when they saved the entire land of Hyrule from the hands of the evil king, Ganondorf. They where the only ones that knew what would have happened if they had not detained the King of the Thieves. After the last battle, Zelda used the Ocarina of Time to take them back seven years, giving Link his childhood back. And although seven years younger, the boy couldn't find the child in himself, and chose instead to free distant kingdoms of evil threats. Until he returned to his kingdom, and to his princess._

_Zelda and Link had always shared a deep friendship that went beyond common affection. After Link returned from his journey, and they laid eyes on each other again, their friendship blossomed into the purest love._

"_For…?" he asked again, a smirk playing on his lips._

"_You know what I mean..." Zelda said, as laid her head on Link's shoulder._

_She was sure he knew what she meant. He had always found a way of snatching the princess from under the Hyrulian guard's noses. He had shown her the places where he had been. He would tell her the stories of his adventures, the one of the masks and the moon was her favorite. He had shown her the Lost Woods, and taught her not to get lost. He had shown her the mountain where the Gorons lived, and the waterfall that led to the Zora's Domain, his house, at the Kokiri Forest and the place that calmed her the most, Lake Hylia. She had lived her whole life under Impa's wings, and would never be aloud to do anything. Her nanny would tell her the stories about the places beyond the castle walls, and she would always imagine herself living the adventures. _

_Until Link came into her life. And they fought Ganondorf together. And when she thought, after going back in time, that she was really destined to live a lonely life, bricked inside the castle walls, he had returned. She loved being with him. The freedom their love brought to her. The feeling of being loved for who she was, and not because of a title. The Princess of Hyrule, heir to the throne, only daughter of the great King Harkinian. She could only imagine what her father would say if he knew of her night trips around the kingdom._

_She shrugged as the wind blew again and shook the thoughts away. She just wanted to cherish a couple of hours with Link before he would have to take her back to the castle, with none but Impa realizing she was gone._

"_Zelda..." Link started, as he gently embraced her._

"_Yes ?" Zelda asked, gently kissing his bare arm and smiling at him_

"_I have…received a letter…from a friend in Outset..." he started tentatively, as she let go of the embrace to stare madly at him_

"_Oh no! Your are not, Link… Please don't tell me you are going to Outset... It's in the middle of a war!" Zelda said, as she glared at the boys light blue eyes_

"_You know it's not that simple…" he shifted from his sitting position, uncomfortably "I have to go Zelda... that's why I brought you here… so that I could tell you…" He held her as she shook her head furiously. "I really have to go, Zelda... I would never go to Outset if I really didn't believe it to be a matter of life and death!" he explained._

_The anger that was within her made her shake as her stomach started to sink. She knew that little piece of information, and that's what made her worried sick. It really was beginning to be too good to be true. Link hugged her again, as warm tears began forming in her eyes. Zelda was having a bad feeling about this. She felt as she would never see Link again._

"_Link... please, tell me you will be careful..." she whispered, kissing Link's cheek. She had a dreaded feeling in her chest. _

"_Of course I'll be careful, Zelda... do you really think I would ever leave you for somebody else..?" he joked, as he snaked his right arm around the small of her back._

"_I'm serious Link…If something happens to you, I don't know what I'll do!" Zelda panicked, holding tightly to his arm_

"_Nothing's going to happen to me, Zelda…" Link said, taking her face in his hands._

_He looked intently in her eyes, and she melted into that stare. He gently kissed her lips as she closed her eyes, silent tears rolling down her cheek._

_Zelda deepened the kiss. She knew she wouldn't be seeing Link in a long time, and she was going to make those few next moments worth it._

_They would never forget that night. She would never forget his words, before tiredness took over her and she fell asleep._

"_I'll love you forever…"_

...

"_NO!" her lungs hurt, she felt dizzy, her eyes cried tears of complete desperation, as she shouted at her nanny, collapsing to the floor._

_Impa was lying! She wasn't telling her the truth, she couldn't…Link couldn't be...he couldn't…he told her he would come back for her…he couldn't be dead…_

"_I'm sorry, Princess…" the Sheikah told her, as she hugged the girl tightly "There was nothing I could do… the soldier found him yesterday..."_

"_Are you sure it was him? Couldn't it be somebody else that looked like him…you saw him? Did you see him?" Zelda asked, choking tears_

_Impa's sad eyes looked into her own, before she forced the shaking girl up._

"_Friedrich!" Impa called, loudly._

_A young man came into the room. He had a built up body, jet-black hair and sweet brown eyes. His dirty suit told her instantly he was a soldier from Outset._

"_Princess Zelda" he bowed._

_Zelda bowed in return, controlling herself for the moment. Impa moved next to Zelda, and laid a hand on her shoulder._

"_This is Friedrich, Princess…he was the one who found him…" Impa told her, as she squeezed the girl's shoulder gently._

"_I'm sorry Princess, I heard he was a great friend of yours…" the man said, his gaze on the floor_

"_Are you sure it was him? How can you be sure?" Zelda asked him. He was wrong, and Impa was wrong. It wasn't Link…he had promised her. She inhaled deeply, trying to control her shaking voice._

_Friedrich took a piece of green cloth from his bag and offered it gently. Zelda took it from his hand. It was blood stained and clearly had been slashed by a sword. The princess felt as if that same sword was slashing through her own skin. She coughed as tears flowed from her eyes into the small piece of fabric._

"_Link.." Zelda whispered, as she fell to her knees again._

"_Come on Princess, you really don't want to cry like this in the middle of the throne room…let me help you up…" said the young man, as he took her hand._

_Friedrich took Zelda to her room. He told her how he had lost many close friends in battles. Zelda also learned that Friedrich wasn't just a common soldier, he was one of the four Lords of Outset._

_Outset had no king. Four elected Lords commanded the Kingdom from its four corners._

_She did want to know about the young man standing before her. She didn't care to know about anything at all. She could only remember the last day she had been with Link, and his words before he left. And it was that strong memory that took over her thoughts even after the Outset Lord left that day._

_And there where only a few words she could think before unconsciousness took over her, and she fell asleep._

'_I will love you forever'_

...

"Mother?" she heard his voice, before feeling his gentle touch on her elbow.

She slowly opened her dark blue eyes, letting the blur come to focus as the boy looked back at her sweetly.

She calmly stretched her arms as the boy laughed at her. She loved her son's laugh. She loved everything about him.

"I'm so sorry to disturb you… you look so tired… but with the meeting going on…" he said as he ran his fingers through his hair, grinning.

She felt a rush go over her. The meeting!

"I'm sorry, darling. Am I really late? I can't believe I fell asleep today!" Zelda asked the young man, as she rushed form under the covers and into her closet, finding an appropriate garment.

"Yes, mother, I'm afraid you are a bit late. Father is holding it for you, but you are the rightful Queen, so hurry up!" Zelda' son told her, as he kissed his mother's cheek "Go on…" he told her, shoving her to the bathroom, before turning to leave.

Zelda smiled. She looked at her son. He had untidy blond hair, Zelda's hair color, and had deep dark-blue eyes, Zelda's eye color, but he didn't look like Zelda at all. He had a strong body and a childish smirk that always played on his face.

'the best son anyone could ever have..' Zelda thought, as she quickly got dressed in a beautiful white dress made of the purest Hylian silk, and embroidered with gold lines.

Her first-born, Zion, was a very together young man. Zelda remembered when he was born as if it had been the previous day. She had been a mother really early, only sixteen… both of her children were now older than she was when she first got pregnant.

Zion was perfect. He understood completely his duties and obligations as heir, and worked to help her with the matters of the kingdom. He would be a great king.

Zelda took a deep breath before looking at her image in the mirror. Some would say she was still so young, with two grown children already. She was about to become thirty-four, the youngest queen Hyrule had ever had. She looked at her once vivid dark blue orbs contrasting with her fair skin and her ruby lips. Some would say she was the most beautiful rose on the kingdom as they looked at her.

She could only see a ghost.

...

He quickened his pace as he turned the corner to the west tower of the castle. She was late. Not that it was something for him to be worried about, she was always late, but she knew today was important to their parents, and still had not cared to show her pretty face in the meeting room for the whole meeting.

She would miss the whole ceremony if he didn't find her fast. And rumors would start flying throughout the kingdom. People would start asking themselves why the princess wasn't present in the union ceremony between the kingdoms of Hyrule and Outset. She knew all of this… their parents had been planning this forever, and she still didn't care.

Zion exhaled in frustration. She was nowhere to be found. Not in the library, not in the gardens, he had even checked the stables! And then he found out her horse was missing… it was so like her…

He entered her room in time to hear her tired breath from the open window, where a rope lied tied to her bed. He looked at her carefully embroidered blue dress on top of her bed. 'And she still has to get ready…' he thought shaking his head and making his way to help the girl, who had just appeared outside the window, into the room.

She was wearing black leather pants, and a red tunic, carefully tightened around her waist by a black corset and black straps tied around her wrists to upper arms to keep sand from coming in her tunic. A healthy shade of pink over her fair complexion, as she looked at her brother, a smile playing on her face as her hazel eyes glittered.

"Selene, what do you think you were doing?" Zion asked her, not believing his own eyes.

His sister greeted him with a sweet smile, as if she couldn't see what she could possibly be doing wrong.

"I was just exploring the land" she said, as she begun to untie her long, auburn hair, previously tied in a loose braid.

"Do you know what day is today?" Zion asked her again. He could feel the frustrating feeling that took over him every time he needed to speak about her leaving the castle.

"Umm… let's see…It's the day I discovered a secret temple inside the Lost Woods…" She said smiling, and winking at him.

Selene, his younger sister, was very different from him. She clearly wasn't the kind of girl that could be held down inside a castle. Every night, Selene would jump off her window, get her steed, and leave the castle to explore Hyrule. Zion didn't know how she managed it, but she could easily evade the royal guards that were all over the castle anytime she wanted.

The seventeen year old matched her mother in beauty. She was easily recognized since she was Zelda's image, except for eye and hair color. How did she get through with her night escapes with her recognizable face. He couldn't believe her…He understood her urges to get out of the castle, but the Lost Woods?

"You didn't! You didn't _dare_ go in those woods, Selene!" Zion shouted at her, worriedly "You know what happens to people who get lost there?"

"Well, I didn't get lost, did I?" she asked, her adventurer face beaming and her huge smile breaking all of his defenses.

"I forbid you to go out!" Zion told her, trying to sound convincing, and to keep himself from laughing at the whole situation.

"Am I?" her smile grew wider "Since when, have I not been forbidden to go out of the castle anyway?" she said raising an eyebrow

"Selene, please! Listen to me… you can get hurt!" he tried again, as the girl's smile grew larger

"If you only came with me, you would know…there are vast lakes, tall mountains, green fields…I feel...free…" she said, as she approached her brother, her smile turning into great amusement as she pictured the landscapes of their kingdom.

The castle's main clock banged, reminding him about the ceremony that was taking place without the crown prince and the princess, which he had already forgotten about. He looked at Selene, who had clearly forgotten.

"I must insist that you get dressed this instant, if you don't want to wake up the demons that sleep inside our father…" he told her, pointing at the dress.

Selene eyes widened.

"That was today? Get out of here! Tell them something to keep them from yelling at me later, please!" she told her brother, as she shoved him out of the room.

"You should thank the goddesses everyday you've got me…" he said laughing, turning back one more time to make sure Selene hadn't jumped out of the window again.

* * *

So, there, what do you guys think ? I personally think it's way better than the first versions… what do you guys think? Please let me know… I'm not going to promise anything… but I will update this really soon…

Thanks for reading,

Zelda F *


	2. Memories of a Blacksmith

_**Disclaimer: I do not own The Legend fo Zelda, or any of it's characters**_

**-Chapter 2-**

**-Memories of a Blacksmith-**

_He made his way through the gigantic fields, wind blowing through his hair as his loyal mare sped up. He could feel the smell of the trees as their branches danced with the strong breeze, their leaves dangling wildly._

_He was home._

_He had imagined that moment for countless times now. _

_He had dreamed about her every night since he had first left. And now he was returning home, to her arms._

_He controlled the mare's quick gait into a slower one as he reached castle town market's gates. Patting her lightly, he quickly jumped to the floor, not wanting to miss another second without her. His heart pounded fast in his chest, his breath quickened, blood pulsed inside his head, she was surely near. He stopped just as he was about to cross the drawbridge that led to Castle Town Market, observing the path so familiar to him. He gently smiled and closed his eyes breathing deeply the grass' scent, how he missed the scent of his Kingdom._

_He opened his eyes not wanting to waste another moment without seeing who he had returned to. He crossed the drawbridge not failing to notice the decorations near the first houses visible. _

_As he reached the insides of the market, he slowed his pace. A huge crowd was closing the way to the castle. He approached slowly, his stomach tightening. Was there some kind fo festival he was forgetting about? It was a possibility, specially with the food carts scattered around the market... He had never been the festival type, and since he had been gone and had no idea in which season they even where, though he would guess spring..._

_He made his way to the left side of the crowd. He had decided to try and find out what it was all about. He wasn't necessarily glad, he knew it would be more difficult to get to her with the strengthened guard presence around the Castle area, but nothing would keep him from her any longer... _

_"What's happening? Did something happen to the king?" the young man asked an old lady, who was standing near one of the food tents._

_She didn't answer, she was too taken by the beautiful royal carriages that were moving through the market._

_He had never seen Hyrule's town market like that. Thinking back, yes he had, in a time long lost, when in a future long lost he, with the help of the siz sages and the Princess of Destiny had defeated the King of Evil, he remebered there had been a celebration... but was that really a celebration? Something had happened... What if something happened to the king? What if he hadn't been there to comfort her. He should have never left in the first place. He continued making his way to the castle path._

_As He had imagined, Hyrule's Royal Guard was blocking the way. He had evaded the guards a million times before, but being tired from his journey he couldn't help but cringe. His muscles were aching and he was in no mood to hide from anyone. Though if it was the last resort, he would take it... He could almost hear her calling for him... He decided to try the easy way out, if it didn't work, he would think of something..._

_"Excuse me.. I need to see the Princess, it's important.. I'm an old friend of hers, if you only tell her my name..." he told one of the guards, who had a large piece of parchment on his hands._

_The guard looked at his figure, scanning his garment and raising an eyebrow at the young man._

_"Of course you are.." the guard said, sarcastically, as his eyes stopped on his ripped green tunic._

_He sighed in frustration. He shouldn't have tried talking to the guard anyway. He should just use one of the dozens of secret ways he used to get in the castle, if he had luck and his gained extra muscles wouldn't intervene, he would even try fitting through the small water supply he had used when he was younger. He could still feel the tiredness in his body though and decided__ it wouldn't hurt to try one more time._

_"Look..If you only tell her.. tell her Link is here, she will..." he started_

_"Boy, I suggest you get out of here, before I have to arrest you! I am loosing my patience, I have heard all kinds of excuses of people wanting to find a way into the private royal celebrations" the guard interrupted, raising his voice._

_"Private Royal Celebrations?" he asked, confused, but relieved. A party, that was all. Nothing had happened to the king..._

_"Don't pretend you don't know boy.. now get out of here!" ordered the guard_

_He was still confused. He knew there were many parties and royal balls at the castle now and then, but he had never seen so many royal people arriving in their carriages for one event._

_He laughed._

_He remembered how she had mention the neverending balls, and the formal way people were supposed to behave. She hated those balls. He imagined her in her royal dress, royals trying to charm her as she smiled to them, her face carefully composed, hoping no one would notice how bored she really was. He laughed again. _

_Zelda... he couldn't wait to see her anymore._

_He was too curious though, and decided it would be better to ask one of the citizens who were trying to catch a glimpse of one of the many important people who were arriving, they would surely tell him the meaning of the whole thing. He made his way to a large stage that had been built in a secured area next to the entrance to the path where the carriages where making there way to their final destination. He assumed there would be some kind of show for the people later on... whatever they were celebrating, it was obviously something big. _

_"Excuse me sir, what is this all about? Why are so many people heading to Hyrule castle?" he asked a middle aged man, who was next to the guard barrier, watching the people inside the carriages as they continued to go through the main gate._

_The man looked at him and blinked before answering, but he hardly knew he would soon do anything not to hear that answer._

_"Haven't you heard, boy ? Hyrule was blessed! A baby prince was born!" the man said, a huge smile spreading through his face_

_Wow. Had he really been out that long?_

_"The king got married again?" he asked, a smirk in his face. Harkinian had had a son.. maybe he would find a was to run away with Princess now, the king probably wouldn't mind, having a son heir to the throne._

_"Heaven's NO! The Princess got married! Where have you been, boy?" the man asked, staring at young man in desbelief._

_He had heard it wrong. What the man had just told him sounded like a long lost alien form of speaking. She couldn't be married.. She wouldn't... He hadn't even been gone for a year... or would she?_

_"I'm sorry?" he said, trying to control his breathing. He was having a hard time concentrating on the man's face now, his vision was becoming clouded. It was as if someone at punched him in the stomach and he was about to throw up. But he was sure he had just heard it wrong..._

_"The Princess. Got. Married." the man said slowly, as if speaking with a two-year old child, a raised eyebrow._

_"Princess Zelda... is married?" he asked again, pain rushing through his veins. _

_"Any other Princesses around Hyrule? And I say it's about time too... I always thought I would wake to see the day the Princess would've ran away..." the man said, staring at the fancy carriages again._

_Link inhaled and exhaled, trying to fight the moisture now forming in his eyes. She said she would wait for him. How could she do that? How could she get married, when he was only seven months away. The Zelda he knew would never have done this to him, or had he been completely wrong about her all along? Had his mind played tricks with him all this time? Had he imagined all the times when he was sure he could feel her whispering his name? And now this man said she was married, married to other man, and had had a son..._

_He shook his head. There was only one way he could be sure of everything, sure that everything that he believed he meant to her was all a lie. He would find a way around the castle and find her. He would put her against the wall and ask her straight away if she had deceived him all the time they spent together, if he had just been a useful distraction for her times of trouble, and most importantly, he would ask her if she had already been engaged when they... no !_

_He shook his head again. It was Zelda... it was his Zelda... there was nothing to be asked, he was sure it would all be a misunderstanding._

_Then it happened._

_The guards played the royal trumpets. _

_He recognized the King of Hyrule in his Royal garment as soon as he walked up the stage. A few more guards secured the area around the Kingdom's ruler, pushing Link and the man whom he had talked to earlier back. The people cheered welcoming their king. Link couldn't fail to notice that Harkinian had aged considerably since the last time he had seen him in one of his visits to the castle, not that the king had ever seen him inside the castle though, he would have kept him away from Zelda. _

_Although he looked older, he also looked very happy. He raised his arms so the cheering would stop, and it wasn't long before all eyes and ears were waiting fot the ruler's words._

_"Welcome my friends! Hyrule's new prince was born this morning. He is a very healthy baby, and I am very pleased that you are all here to share this great happiness with my family!" the King told the citizens of Hyrule, and the many rulers that were present, who had joined Hyrule's king in the far corner of the stage when only now Link noticed, there were comfortable chairs set for them._

_"Let me introduce you my grandson, future king of Hyrule, Zion!" the King said, a huge smile spreading through his face. He pointed to two figures who were making their way to the place were Harkinian was._

_It was then he saw her again. She hadn't changed a bit in all those months..._

_She was beautiful. More beautiful than he'd remebered. And there was a special glow playing on her face as she smiled to the crowd. Her pearl colored dress dancing in the air, her golden-blond hair tied up in an elegant bun, she made her way to stand next to her father, handing him the baby._

_The King continued his speech as the Hylians roared with pride._

_But he didn't hear it. He was completely hypnotized by her. And what he didn't fail to notice was that she was very happy, the same way she had been when they were together. He would even say she seemed happier. Maternity had served her well._

_He then noticed the person who was next to her._

_The man who was holding her hand, her husband undoubtedly, was a large-structured man. He had jet-black hair and hazel colored eyes. He had an important aura around him. Link knew he was the exact kind of husband Harkinian would have wanted Zelda to marry, and he knew he was the exact kind of husband she would never want for herself... or would she ?_

_He felt his chest tightening. He couldn't dare to look away from Zelda. Her dark eyes shinning like the most precious saphirres. The sun playing on her pale forehead, her cheeks flustered and pink. Had he been wrong ? How could he be so wrong ?_

_It was then, that something he wished he had never seen happened._

_Zelda slowly looked at her husband, who gazed back. Both of them smiled, and gently kissed each other, as King Harkinian said the baby's name again._

_Link could stand there no longer. Thoughts of Zelda came rushing to his head, his heart was almost bursting out of his chest. He rushed out of the market, fighting back tears of misery._

_He would never return to Hyrule..._

_That was a promise._

_..._

_Thunder echoed outside the small caban. The storm would continue for sometime, he could tell. He just hoped the rain wouldn't drown the crops that had just started to bloom, he couldn't afford the loss._

_He sighed, closing his eyes slightly._

_He had been living in the farm in the borders of Outset for sometime now. It wasn't much, but he had never had much on the first place, and he enjoyed the farm life. He would sometimes work as a blacksmith, to help maintain the livestock when the weather didn't help._

_There was a knock on the door. It would certainly be someone who got lost on the storm. He quickly made got up from his comfortable position on the bed and headed downstairs. He wasn't the kind to deny shelter for people who needed it, particularly in the middle of a storm like that._

_As he opened the door, and ajusted his eyes to the darkness, he was surprised to see a familiar face. The girl's eyes were puffy and she was shaking. He could tell she had been crying for quite sometime. He let her in his humble home before saying anything, closing the door behind her._

_Malon looked up at him, her red hair as wet as her clothes._

_Malon was one of the few people in Hyrule who he had trusted with his wherabouts. She had been a great friend ever since they were kids. She was also the one who had given him his loyal mare, Epona, and she had helped him find the farm in the outskirts of Outset when he'd needed. _

_"Malon ? Come on.. you can't stay like this, you will catch a cold.. quickly, next to the fire!" Link told her, as he led the shivering girl next to the small fireplace._

_Link had been living in Outset ever since that horrible day.. The day he had thought, would be the best of his life. _

_A year had passed since that day. He had been okay in his new home, trying hard to ignore everything in Hyrule. As long as he stayed away from Hyrule, it would be easier not to think of her._

_As soon as Malon showed up though, thoughts of Hyrule came rushing in him..._

_"I'll get you something to wear, Malon. Wait here.." Link said, running to the stairs and disappearing upstairs._

_It was a relatively large room that was made of dark brick, like the rest of the house. It was a modest house, but it was well suited for Link, who was living alone._

_There was a small fireplace, next to the couch that Malon was sitting on. There was also a small table with two chairs, where dinner leftovers still rested._

_He only wished Malon didn't think she had interrupted his dinner, as he thanked his messy nature, though he would generally clean up after dinner. It was as if he was guessing he'd have visit. He grabbed the first clothes he found, a silk tunic, and ran back downstairs._

_"Dress this, or you might be sick.. the rest room is over there, if you need it.." Link told her, as he pointed to a door next to the entrance. "And don't argue with me, you look like you need some food... I'll grab you a plate.."_

_The girl timidly made her way to the restroom. He couldn't but feel worried for his friend. It was unlike Malon to cry, almost as much as it was for her to be quiet. The girl had been cheerful her whole llife, always singing, he remembered._

_It took a while for Malon to dry herself, and finally get out of the restroom. Link had already placed another plate on the table, so they could both have a decent dinner, he should join her or he was sure she wouldn't want to eat. The young man was a great cook, he had to learn very quickly not to starve._

_"So.. you haven't said a word since you got here, Malon... what's wrong?" he asked her, concerned._

_Malon, who wasn't touching her food, looked deeply into Link's eyes. He could see that there were tears forming in her eyes, and decided to hug her. He could tell Malon really needed that hug. She cried loudly, her head resting on his shoulder, and both of her hands holding her stomach. She cried for what could have been hours, but he just caressed her long-red hair. She had helped him when he had needed her, he would do the same._

_When Malon finally calmed down, He led her to his guest room, and decided not to question her any longer. He leaned the girl on the bed, and walked to the door. He thought it would probably be better for her, if she slept for the time being._

_"Link..." Malon called him, he voice weak, as he was just about to reach the door._

_Link turned to face his friend, and he noticed she had stopped crying but still had a dreadful look._

_"Look, Malon.. you don't have to tell me anything, it's none of my business.." he started, but was cut off by the redhead_

_"I'm pregnant.." she said, looking at the floor, ashamed_

_"I don't know what to say.." Link said, relieved. So it wasn't something dreadful, thank Godesses "This is great news.. I don't understand, why are you crying?"_

_"He left me... I couldn't dare to face my father, Link... He would be so disappointed, what would I say?" she said, starting to cry again_

_Link sat on the bed, next to her, and wiped the tears off her face. He couldn'tt possibly believe it. She had thought her father, Talon, the most understanding father in the world, would not understand? He shook his head, thinking hard. He couldn't judge her. He would try talking her out of it, but would accept her decision._

_"So you ran away.. here.." he concluded, alone_

_"I'm so sorry, Link.. I didn't know what to do.." the girl continued, sobbing harder._

_"It's okay, Malon.." Link told her smiling._

_He wouldn't let one of his best friends raise her child on her own..._

_This was going to be his child..._

_..._

"Don't start this again..." Link told the teenager.

When that boy got something in his head, he just wouldn't let it go. Link had lost count of how many times he had asked him the same thing, again and again.

"Why not, dad? I mean.. why didn't you get married again after mother died? You know, have your own kids" the boy insisted

"You are my kid, Jivam.." he said, avoiding the subject

"I mean.. your kids, not a kid you raised as yours.." he continued

Link was starting to think he only asked him that to annoy him. It would be so like him.

"You are as good as a real son.." He told him "Now stop asking me why this, and why that..."

"Ahh dad.. you are too old..." the boy said, with a mocking tone

"And you better go to sleep.. we both have to work tomorrow.." Link told Jivam

"Yeah, alright... goodnight, dad.." he said, before he disappeared through the door.

He was now alone.

Alone with his memories.

Everytime Jivam would question him, he would remember her. The colour of her eyes, the softness of her skin. If he thought about her hard enough, he could almost feel her touch, hear her voice.

He looked at the old cabinet where he kept old things, and decided to go over his old stuff, in search for one of the only things he had saved from Hyrule.

He found broken shields, ripped tunics, all sorts of things. But on the very bottom of that cabinet, Link found something that brought back all his memories of twenty years passed. He grabbed the small, blue instrument, and placed it his mouth.

_"Link, please.. have this Ocarina.." the young, blond girl said, as she handed him the small instrument._

Link closed his eyes, while silent tears ran down his face.

"... Zelda..." Link whispered, before he started playing the familiar song.

The song that was passed down by the Royal Family...

...

Soo, this is the new, improved second chapter of A Lost Future. Hope you guys liked it

And hope previous readers aren't still mad at me.

Please review and let me know what you think =)

thanks for reading ;) Zelda F


	3. The Royal Family

Here I am, again asking for your forgiveness... every time I forget about this fic something reminds me of it, it's like it's getting thrown back at me so I can finish it. I made a vow, I will finish it, no matter what... I just re-read and corrected a few things on the first two chapters and I really hope you find reading the rest of it worthwhile =)

without further ado...

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Legend of Zelda… now THAT is sad =(**

**Chapter 3**

**-The Royal Family-**

She walked slowly, head high into the grand room.

That was probably the way a princess should always walk but she really didn't care. Today she was holding the act though, as she knew perfectly her mother would soon question her about her whereabouts the day before, when she should have been in the meeting between the nations. She sighed. She hadn't been born for those kinds of things. If only one person could choose what they would do and who they would be... But she guessed they could... she just happened to be lucky enough to have royal blood.

She stopped the moment she laid eyes on her mother. She was wearing her royal attire, with her hair pulled up in a bun. It was a white silk under gown with a slightly different tone of white sleeveless over shirt. On top of that there was a pearl corset that showed her her mother's frame had grown thinner and gloves the same pearl shade that came up to her elbows. On top of her delicately fixed hair was the crown that symbolized her status, carefully made of crimson velvet and gold with the most expensive kind of rubies that once had been brought up from the Goron couldn't help but think that color didn't bring out the best in her mother's features. She had seen portraits and pictographs of her mother in a white and pink gown which she thought looked splendid, but the Queen insisted in only using that pearl shade ever since she could remember.

Zelda was mixing a tea infusion and still hadn't noticed her standing next to the far ending of the table. She seemed to be deep in thought, her eyes seemed almost sad, and the young princess didn't fail to notice she also looked really tired.

Amazing

It seemed the Three Goddesses hadn't heard her prayers that her mother wake up that morning in a good mood. If she looked tired and deep in thought, she had probably been up most of the night pacing around her private garden thinking about some urgent matter of the Kingdom.

Selene looked down at her own clothes. She was dressed in her rich dark blue gown, with her auburn hair tightly pulled into a white and dark blue head dress. There was white over garment hanging with rich embroidered designs She couldn't help but hope her charade was going to work, that her mother would be pleased to see her fully dressed as the dress code for Hyrule's princess insisted. She hated that stupid head dress, but maybe Zelda would be to taken by it as to forget her absence the day before. If there was something Selene hated almost as much as being a princess, it had to be dressing like one. The clothes she had to wear were heavy and uncomfortable, she would much rather just wear a simple tunic and pants. The acting she didn't mind much, she actually had considered if she would've like to be a performer and join the local theatre company if she hadn't being already attached to things more important.

She looked back at Zelda. Her relationship with her mother had always been tricky. It was even as if her mother didn't really like her... the moment she thought that her mother looked up fixing gazes with her. She slowly bowed to the Queen of Hyrule, she always did that to get her mother mad and since she was almost positive the head dress wouldn't work it's charms... she made her way to a chair to the left of her mother, who sat in head of the table. Before she could pull the chair herself, a servant quickly did it for her. Another thing she hated, never being able to do the simplest things herself.

"Where were you last night?" Zelda asked her daughter, just as she sat at the breakfast table.

"What do you mean, mother? I was at the…" she started, but was cut off by Zelda's annoyed voice.

"You know what I mean. Don't play stupid around me." said Zelda, as she buttered a piece of toast.

Selene bit her lower lip, trying to think... what was she going to say?

"But I was…"

"_Where_ were you, Selene?" Zelda asked again, while slowly taking a piece of the buttered toast to her mouth. "You were late and I wasn't the only one who noticed. Your father came up to me asking where you were, and I couldn't answer since none of the castle maids seemed to know, not even your brother! Now tell me... _Now."_

It was amazing how her mother could forcefully speak to her without raising her voice in the slightest. She always thought it was a good quality for a leader. She knew what she was going to say, she smirked as she, too, picked a piece of toast and placed on the plate before her.

"I was riding, exploring, hunting for treasure… I happened to find a hidden underwater temple, I just wish I could hold my breath underwater a little longer…" the young seventeen-year-old said calmly, taking now a pear from the huge front bowl and placing in on a plate that sat next to the one with the toast.

"I don't have time for jokes, Selene." Zelda told her, but she could hear her mother's words let a hint of worry show. She gently looked deep into her mother's eyes, studying them. Was her mother worried about her? That would have to be a first...

"What is the use of telling you anything if you won't believe me?" continued the girl, a smile playing on her lips. She could tell her mother wouldn't believe her by her dangerous glare.

"Go to your room… Selene, just do as I say..." she whispered seriously.

Selene knew she was really being serious and decided to follow her orders, but not before deciding for the pear instead of the toast in her plate and swiftly getting up from the table. She didn't actually enjoy small talk with her mother and she was sure Zelda felt the same. They were just too different to get along. Her mother loved everything she despised. From the maids doing everything for her, the long and heavy dresses, the feasts, the way royalty was supposed to act, and most of all her crown. She walked fast through the dining room, but not before looking back at her mother.

"You know... I am actually surprised you noticed I was gone... it's not like you usually notice me, the both of you..." she said, her throat clenching at the truth behind those words. She continued walking out and through the corridors that led to her bedchamber.

They really didn't care about her, all they cared about was that they showed the people from Hyrule and other nations that they were a normal and loving family, but that was exactly the opposite of what they really were...

...

As those last words slipped out of her daughter's lips as she left the dining room, she felt as if her lungs failed. With each day that passed, the girl became more and more of a problem for her… She was nothing like her brother, who was the perfect son, the one any mother would die to have. He was handsome and kind; he would be a great king…

But she couldn't accept Selene felt that way. As if she didn't care about her... She had been up all night, pacing in her private garden thinking about her. She was so different, and yet she reminded her so much of herself. The way she hated certain protocols around the castle, how she only wanted to live her life. Though Zelda didn't like those things, she loved her kingdom and it's people. She would never imagine doing anything else that wasn't to rule. Maybe, a long time ago she had had doubts, doubts that had to do with a long lost friend. But her first duty would've always been her country, she knew that. And that's why she had married Friedrich, a good man but not someone she loved, but who had helped her rule. The problem was, Zelda though, Selene would never accept the duties of the kingdom, she was too much of a free spirit.

And she had heard rumors around the castle...

Zelda sighed, leaning her chin on her hand. She looked at the long, rectangular table, which was covered with a gold embroidered cloth. It didn't contrast a bit with the room's clear white marble floor, or with its icy walls. Hyrule castle's floor was all covered in white marble, and its walls were all that icy shade of white. It had great richness in detail, though. There were beautiful paintings of Hyrule's most famous artists and statues of all the old members of the Royal Family. In a way she understood her daughter. Everything was supposed to be so clear all the time when you were a public figure. If she only knew how to deal with her... she had never learnt on the past seventeen years...

Zelda looked at the room's door, as she heard footsteps, and smiled tiredly to the newcomer.

He was wore a white silk tunic underneath a leather sleeveless over shirt which was tied with a hand carved belt made of pure gold with Hyrule's crest that had been made specially to the crown prince of Hyrule. His untidy blonde hair was beginning to grow too long, but he was already a man and she could hardly say anything about it, even if she thought he should get rid of it. He smiled back at her, his light blue eyes bringing her peace. He could always manage that.

"Good morning, mother." said Zion, kissing her forehead, while a servant made her way to pull his chair.

He sat down at the place next to Zelda, before looking straight at his mother.

"Did you and Selene just argue again?" he asked, raising an eyebrow "I saw her storming to her room on my way here..."

Of course he had, and he would now speak for his sister like he always did. He would tell her she was hot headed and stubborn but she shouldn't worry half as much as she really did. She closed her eyes, they were very dry due to the sleepless night. She touched her son's hand, nodding slightly.

"Zion... your sister is without a doubt the most difficult situation that I ever had to face" And as she said that, she actually considered everything. Her fear for her daughter way in life.

"I have heard a rumor around the castle... Selene is seeing one of the castle guards... I can't stop thinking about this, do you know anything about this?" She wouldn't allow that. She wouldn't allow her daughter to fall in love with a commoner guard in order for him to leave her one day and go to war. She would never let that happen to her, not that... not what had happened to her.

"She is not seeing one of the castle guards, mother. And if she was, you don't need to be so alarmed, they are just people like us…" he told Zelda, half laughing at what he had just heard.

"Don't be so hard on her... you have been hard on her since she was born." he told her, taking his mother's hand from his and bringing it to his cheek.

It was impressive how he hadn't changed much from his early childhood to that day. Of course he had grown into a man now, but the same boyish grin still played on his adult face. Zelda sometimes felt like her son, and of course her daughter were her only reasons for living. She would be long gone if she hadn't them. And of course Selene mattered, even if she failed to see it. But Zion was the only one she could fully trust. He was loyal, she knew, and he truly cared for the kingdom, so she would always discuss everything regarding Hyrule with him. Zelda felt hot tears started to form in her eyes as she looked deeply into her sons familiar ones. She blinked twice and controlled it. This wasn't the time, or the place.

"She has been so difficult lately... today I tried speaking to her, tried asking her where she had been during the meeting, she just mumbled a ridiculous response she had been outside the castle..." She took her hand aways from her sons face, and returned it to the knife she was using to butter her toast, she had yet to finish breakfast and had to be in the court assembly in a few hours.

"She said that, did she?" he mumbled

"If she could only care for her obligations... if only she were more like you..." Zelda said, absentmindedly

"Mother, don't you see it? You can't expect Selene to be like me. That's what you are doing wrong… she may be a bit stubborn sometimes, but it's just part of who she is. She can't stand living in a cage, as she often tells me…She has a lot of qualities, I can't help but think you are just too blind to see them.." Zion told her, running a hand through his blonde mane.

Zelda decided to let it go. Maybe Zion was right. Maybe she was approaching Selene the wrong way. She would try speaking to her daughter again later that day, she couldn't think about that now.

The queen quickly finished her meal, before wishing her son a good day and making her way to the court room

...

The assembly had gone terribly wrong.

Zelda had stood before the council only to have them throw a bomb at her. Instead of lowering the Kingdom's taxes as she had planned, they wanted to charge higher taxes. To her immense displeasure, her husband seemed to agree with them. After three or maybe four painful hours, the council, which consisted of her late father's four most trustworthy men, had left them to talk, after the King had asked them to be alone with his wife. It was incredible, even with them being _her father's _trustworthy men, they had decided to side with Friedrich and not with her. They didn't even take in consideration what her father would have done in a situation like that.

Hyrule's King had an imposing figure. He was very tall and had a large build, the muscles that could be clearly seen through his red royal tunic were result of every day combat practice. His jet-black hair contrasted amazingly with his very fair skin, and his strong brown eyes exhaled maturity beyond a normal level for a ruler of his age. The crown on his head and the matching golden shoulder pads helped the women all over the kingdom have a soft spot for him.

He was indeed handsome. And she knew he got a lot of things he wanted by using his natural charm. But she knew he knew it would never work with her, and he didn't even bother to try a different approach. He wanted to impose the new law, as if she had no say in it. She knew she had lost her power of speech in the court room. Of course everyone would listen to what she had to say, but it was as if they only found it important if it was for the benefits of what they wanted. It was as if she was a little girl again, trying to convince her father that the honorable Gerudo king was in fact a vicious murder.

"I do not agree with it!" Zelda told her husband, after he finished his speech.

"Zelda, this has already been settled… the council agrees with it. Why can't you?" Friedrich asked her, staring at the ceiling with his growing impatience.

"But to take that amount of money from the people? You and the court know they pay enough taxes already..."

"We need to have extra rupees, Zelda! This temple is going to be a new hope for prosperity in Hyrule! Don't you want that? To give people hope?" he told her, running his fingers through his hair.

"You _know_ we don't. You _know_ we have already gathered more than enough funds to build the temple… What are you doing, Friedrich?" Zelda asked, locking gazes with her husband.

"I am the king! I can do whatever I want!" he told her suddenly, before realization came upon his face of what he had just said.

Zelda stared in disbelief. He had never acted that way around her, or her children. On the contrary, he had always been loyal to her convictions, he would never take them for granted. In their twenty years of marriage, he had been an excellent ruler. He wasn't the best of fathers, but still, he loved his children his own way. He had always loved Hyrule and the people...

"What did you just say?" Zelda asked him, her dark eyes blinking.

"I'm sorry, Zelda, I just lost it." he sighed looking tired. "You are too nice to people… Our kingdom will never grow if we don't start making improvements. And we can't possibly make any improvements if we don't have enough funds." he explained, trying to sound calm.

"What do you mean, Friedrich? We make improvements, but we can't make them with the people's expenses!" said Zelda, before sitting on one of the meeting chamber's brown chairs. "It's just wrong!"

"You know I respect your opinion Zelda, you know I do..." he told her, walking towards her chair and kneeling. He took her hand in his before continuing, she could tell by his face she wouldn't like what he was going to say next.

"I'm sorry, but I am the king here. And I am going to do whatever it takes in order to make my kingdom worthy of trust. If we make an alliance with Termina, maybe give Selene's hand to Mayor Kafei's son, we would be stronger than ever. Hyrule would reach a golden age! Could you imagine?"

It was as she had been slapped. She couldn't believe her ears. This was too much, Friedrich couldn't be paying attention to what he was saying.

"You can't possibly be serious?" Zelda's head was spinning, she pulled her hand free of his grip and stood up looking at the portrait of the ruling King and Queen of Hyrule that decorated one of the walls.

She had been but a child when she got married to Friedrich. It was true that their marriage had been good for her. It had been comforting in the most terrible and darkest times of her life. They had grown distant with time but still respected each other, and she was sure she would be the one to blame, she admitted she had become frigid. Maybe it wouldn't be such a bad idea for Selene. Of course it had been terrible for her, she truly believed that love was for a lifetime, and she had just lost that part of her, it was dead.

But Selene had never been in love.

Maybe if she met Thor... Maybe if they became friends... It would be hard at the beginning but Zelda new that affection could be constructed. She cared about Friedrich, cared deeply. Friendship was always the path to love, wasn't it? And it would free Selene's mind of her funny ideas. She would be married to a nice young man, who she was sure would never search for trouble, like her lost one used to. But she knew her daughter all too well...

"Selene would never accept this..."

"Like I said before, I am the king, and she doesn't have to accept it. She will marry Thor if that'll be the case… and she will be better of with him. You met him Zelda, he is a good kid..." he assured her.

"Excuse me sire, Lord Kafei has just arrived." interrupted a young, brunette girl.

"I'll be there in a moment, Kaisha." he told the maid before she left.

"What is Kafei doing here?" Zelda asked her husband, anger running through her veins.

So she didn't even have time to think about the matter, he had already decided all by himself. Zelda didn't want to force her daughter to anything. She had married Friedrich. Her father had been blissfully happy about their announcement, he did arrange that the black haired Outseti stayed as a guest at the castle for long periods of time. But in the end she chose him. Friedrich had been _her_ choice, not anyone else's...

"We are going to settle this today." Friedrich told her before leaving her alone, with the company of her thoughts.

...

What was going on with her parents? Ask her to be a princess, alright. Behave like a princess, likewise. Dress as a princess, check. But it wasn't enough, was it? No! Because she couldn't possibly be a true princess without an arranged marriage! That was just plain wrong, and she wouldn't go through that.

"No, thank you..." Selene answered her mother's question. "How can you even ask me that, mother? To give up my life? To give up everything I ever dreamed of? To get married at seventeen to a man I have never even seen before?"

She could feel the moisture in her eyes but she wouldn't cry. She always knew the only one who cared about her was Zion, and yet everyday it seemed more and more difficult to live inside that castle knowing she was only a pawn in that huge chess game. Or maybe she should consider herself a precious stone, to be sold to the highest bidder.

She felt sick.

She knew arranged marriages were normal in royal courts, but she thought that he mother should know they never work, taking from her own experience with her father. Zelda and Friedrich were never really married in her eyes. She always though marriage was the bonding of two passionate souls that couldn't live without each other. The wedding feast, the paperwork, that was all rubbish.

She had never seen her parents look at each other meaningfully, she had never seen them stroll along her mother's private garden, hand in hand, whispering secrets to each other, or even laughing at the simplest things the other did. She knew that when people were in love, they would truly cherish the other, would find ordinary things amusing when they reminded them of their significant other. She had never felt that for anyone, but she had always been very fond of reading.

But her parents were never like that...

"You don't understand Selene… your father…" but the queen was quickly interrupted

"Please, don't finish that sentence! My father? When has he been my father? Biologically maybe, but a _real_ father? Never in my life! And now he wants to be the _perfect, loving _father by making me marry so he can make an alliance with Termina… this is ridiculous…" she said as she paced in circles around her room, laughing mirthlessly.

"I'm sorry Selene, I'm sorry... But you are a princess. You were born to certain privileges, and with that comes obligations. You always have to think about your kingdom" Zelda told her

"_I'm _sorry, mother. I don't know what kind of speech he used to convince you that this 'plan' of his was right, but I'm not getting married to a complete stranger!"

"Selene, I'm trying to keep this family together when it's hanging by a thread... Thor is a very pleasant young man, once you meet him. I'm sure he will be nice to you; he will be a nice friend, he will be a good choice for the kingdom. Not everything is about love."

"Mother," said Selene, finally stopping at Zelda's left, her loose auburn hair seemed red in the candle light. "I want love, not friendship. I'm sure what your decision would be if you were in my place, but be sure of something... When I marry, it will be about love. How did your marriage work out for you?"

She was sure her mother would not be happy with her after that. But Zelda hardly looked at her. She opened her mouth as if she was about to say something, then gave up. She saw her mother sighed, before turning to the door, not even looking at her.

"Selene, I'm very, very sorry... but this isn't a choice." Zelda said, before she made her way out of the room.

The young princess couldn't believe her mother's words. She could tell she had crossed the line, but that didn't mean she would make it up to her mother by sacrificing her life, marrying whoever they wanted her to marry. She had plans for herself. Plans that didn't include staying trapped inside a castle discussing the important matters of the kingdom, and living, breathing, speaking for the kingdom. She wanted to be her own person.

And she had decided the very moment her mother walked out the door, she would be her own person. She would be treated normally, as an equal, and not be looked at as some kind of deity. She would live her life, _her_ life. Not the life that her parents where trying to plan for her.

She looked at herself in the mirror, she truly looked like her mother and dressed in her royal blue gown, and being taller than most Hylian women she had the same kind of imposing figure as her father. She stared deeply into her own hazel eyes as if asking herself if she was sure of what she was going to do. She could almost hear her reflexion say yes. She only needed to do one last thing...

...

Zelda couldn't believe it. What had she become? A ghost. A puppet. Yes. She did everything that was requested of her, most of the things against her own will. What had happened to the young, strong, wise girl that saved Hyrule?

She knew... she had died. Just like the hero did. Zelda felt tears in her eyes while she made her way through the empty halls of the castle. She only wished her children wouldn't suffer as much as she did, but then... in forcing Selene into an arranged marriage, would she be doing the right thing?

* * *

Aha !

I had promised this chapter for some people three days ago, my life was kind of in a rush though, but hey ! It's here now right? Sooo... what did you guys think? Please, Please, Please, Let me, Let me, Let me, Let me get what I want this time... REVIEWS ! Please ?

Thanks for reading ^^

your friend,

Lady Zelda F*


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